Derren Brown Tricks Of Mind

I should do a video review and may, a bit later, but for now wanted say this book was amazing. Epically informative (and FUNNY! -- db's british humor is brilliantly funny! seriously!) I loved the loci palace memory methods. He provides three excellent memory mnemonic mind tools "peg, loci, and link" all work fantastically. Have read many books on memory methods and many of the ones in other books are pony and trivial and ineffective. All three of darrrens' mnemonic devices are extremely effective and powerful. They're the only three that work. If you add any more than tthe link, peg, and loci you'll just be repeating variations of one of those three. So even three mbnemonic methods may be unnecessary, but that part WORKS. His discussin of detecting deceit was fantastic and revealing . I loved how he showed ways to to detect deceit from Two angles: Look for signs of truth-telling, look for signs of deceit! He reveals both of those classifications of signs. I loved his intellectual slaughtering of alternative medicine, spiritualism, psychic BS, and religion and have listened to the full Dawkins God delusion audio and plan to delve into that liberating field by scrutinizing and reading more of dawkins and Hitchens. I learned and practiced the two tricks he taught in the book (which really do work, althoguht they're presented as something somewhat metaphorical. I performed the coin one in the squalor of los angeles, but in a pretty cool place at the house of blues, and was met by a gleeful audidence chick.) One thing I LOVED is his humorous and insulting phrases he calls participants "dunderheads" or merry-Andrew or mooncalf. LOL hysterical righteously. what else His discussion of hypnosis was more biographical. Didn't learn much anything new there, but worthwhile to learn about the greatest showmanship hypnotist EVER's bio of hypnotism. Some of the stories, namely the hypnotism as self-defence were extremely amusing. Part5 he goes into ALL of these tells. An enormous array of tells. how voice tone, hand gestures, even EYE flickerings, and micro-face movements all give away lies (or truth if said aberrations are absent). THAT was truly fascinating. he lists 14 signs of truthfulness in speech, voice, body. after this huge assault of give-aways to lying, and patterns that liars use and how their lies are revealed in changes in their wording, their voice tone, everything. That was IMMENSELY cool. by far the coolest part of the book was the short miniscule sub-chapter on "Muscle-Reading". I consider that derren's greatest trick. And unfortunately there was only a short bit on it. Most uplifting was his outright direct cool scientific dissection of the pendulum and ouija board fraudulence and how that works simply through ideomotor effect. This book is something that i can trust. when there's SOOO much fallacious crap (spiritualism, religion, utterly atrotious mysticism crap that's actually published?! How can that stuff get publihed! Dispecable). out there. This is a book is comforting in that it attacks that. So basically this is one of the few books (along with dawkins and science textbooks) that I can actually trust! lol. Fantastic book. And my review is most certainly highly skewed because of my enormous reverence for DB. Fantastic character, easily hands down the most shocking nad impressive stage performances ever (that likely encompasses all genres. Rock concerts are likely sometimes more "energizing" but certainly not more impressive in a way than DB. let's just say they're on par with entertaining) but he does it one-man show, so even more awe-inspiring. Music is still cool. This is quite rambling. but the bottom-line: fantastic book, informative, GREAT anecdotes for detecting liars in body and voice, debunking fallacies of psychics and mediums crap, being extremely humorous and funny, being british (i like and trust british authors MUCh more and by far, the bulk of the authors I've read have been british from Roald Dahl as a kid to Brown, hitchens, and Dawkins now and Douglas adams too of course), entertaining and massively rich with techniques and tricks to expand your mind, slaughter bad thinking, and learn how some part of one of the greatest magician's EVER works! This is VERY good book. It's informative. I will read it again to master the mnemonic techniques, the deceit-detection, touch up on teh card and coin trick, and read up on again and reabsorb the whole Part5:Unconscious communication bit likely. But I read the book very thoroughl, found it informative because of the above mentioned, humorous and incredibly amusing. A joy to read of the candid inside world to this truly World Class International hypnotist and magician. The BEST part of this! is the striking irony that DB simultaneously aims to mystify and awe with his magic as he does simultaneously aim to debunk all fake psychics and BS spiritualitists. The last part on pseudo-science and bad thinking was great, but I'll leave that up to Dawkins and Hitchens. Derren offered obviously a less intellectual, more entertaining, sexier, more performance-based discussion of the kind of dawkins-hitchens anti-religion discussions. That WHOLE anti-pseudo-science anti-religion, atheism thing is very much my bag. Tricks of the mind is an integral text to that "atheist bag" and found this book extremely valuable.

I don't even know where to start with this review, as the book is absolutely packed with insight. First, if you are the sort to be offended by criticisms of organized religion, you will likely be offended from page one and throw the whole book out as a result. Ironically, that just proves much of the premise of the book. But I digress. Darren Brown is one of the greatest thinkers of this relatively young 21st Century. I cannot remember a book that was able to balance cunning wit with intellectual acumen from start to finish-- most books usually sacrifice one for the other, but not so in this case. For example, he writes, "I have a neighbor, Mike. (That's not his real name, to spare the guy embarrassment. His real name is Guy.)" in the same paragraph in which he addresses the use of sham medicine to take advantage of a sick person in his most vulnerable state. In this book, you will learn: how to defend yourself from a robbing at gunpoint; remember virtually any name (I tried it the same morning I read it, using a dog and the dog's owner I met on a walk with my own dog, and I will never again forget either of their names again); for once and for all put the question to rest whether hypnosis works; learn how to put somebody in a "hypnotic" state (with appropriate caution); compliment somebody who gave a ridiculously wrong answer and correcting him without making him feel stupid; create mass hysteria over the fictional release of tarantulas (not that you should do that); recognize that nobody thinks about us as much as we think they do; detect more accurately than a polygraph whether a person is lying (hint: it has little to do with eye contact, at least as we think we understand it); counteract confirmation bias; among many other things. The world needs more Darren Browns, but because there is only one, it is best that he teach the rest of the world how to think as he does. While we may ultimately fall short, it is really worth a try.

This is exactly what I was hoping it would be: Derren writing to hobbyists and the interested layman. There are a few basic magic tricks, but the focus is on theory and presentation. This is a good book if you’ve already been at magic or mentalism and really want to understand how to relate to spectators as well enhance your effects to make them feel more impossible. Also good if you want a nice summary of memory techniques, the basics of hypnotism, and some exploration of “psychic” abilities. Or if you just want to get into a magician’s mind. Don’t expect to learn how he pulled off TV stunts. This isn’t a tell all book for people asking “how the heck did he do that,” though by the end you’ll get the general idea how much of it works in theory. Also if you’re thin-skinned when it comes to someone daring to say they don’t believe in God (like some reviewers here), then you’ll likely be offended. He includes this because you really must understand his background and beliefs to understand where he is coming from. Overall I think this is a great read if you’re genuinely interested in learning about mentalism. Its enough to satisfy the intellectually curious, though It’s not going to get you there by itself if you want to do it yourself. Luckily Derren also leaves a huge list of recommended reading and other resources at the end.

Brown's "Tricks of the Mind" is an accessible piece of work for anyone interested in the various skill sets that Derren possesses. It skims the top layer of about a dozen different subjects from basic conjuring with cards to advanced memorization techniques and even gives a brief walk through of hypnosis induction. This isn't a how to book but a kind of conversation with the author. You get to experience his very funny personality and opinions in his own words and there are a few particular parts that did make me laugh quite hard for some time. It was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in mentalism or just Derren Brown.

This book is quite fascinating. I learned a lot about memory from this book such as creating a memory palace where you can store facts that you're learning and traverse them to recall such as what you'll learn in rather robust books such as Moonwalking with Einstein, but in a condensed form and with enough information to apply it without having to read an entire book on the subject. That's but one of many of the lessons about brain tricks you'll learn from reading this book. I bought the paperback version because I stole the PDF version long ago so I need to re-read the book to remember all that is in it. However, if you don't know who Derren Brown is and why you should buy this book (and others he's written such as Happy), go do a YouTube search on him, be amazed, and then if you are a curious person, I believe you'll be thrilled to read this book.

Derren is a fascinating entertainer. In his TV shows he uses suggestive techniques in way that really pique one's curiousity about how our minds work (e.g. Derren approaches a stranger on a street and within a minute that man unthinkingly hands over his wallet and keys to Derren. When the man sheepishly approaches him it a minute later to get them back, Derren gives them back and then immediately gets him to unthinkingly hand them over again). To read the ramblings of such as person is to get a glimpse at his techniques of persuation and to realize how subsceptable we all are to being influenced by others (and by the advertising that we are constantly exposed to). I enjoyed his nerdy, self-deprecating stream-of-consciousness style of writing and dry sense of humour, if only because I could identify with it, and that made me feel more comfortable with myself. Thank-you for that, Darren. Darren's information about our minds seems to be grounded in science (or at least in agreement with it). Derren's description of hypnotic behaviour largely being voluntary compliance is interesting. I found similarities between Mr. Brown and "The Amazing Kreskin" from Canadian '70s TV - especially that they both claim there is no such thing as hypnosis and yet appear to make extensive use of hypnotic techniques in their performances. Even though he is an entertainer not a scientist, I hope he will dare to reveal more of his extensive knowledge in a future book.

Derren Brown puts on a great performance. That's why I like him, and because of his hyper-concentration and dedication to this craft. This book is a little what didn't expect. It's a lot like a how-to book. He'll go through a lot of methods he uses for memorization and reading people, etc.. all the stuff he does on the show. There are instructions as to how to improve these methods, and with practice you will just get better, etc. From the mouths of babes, this is coming from someone INCREDIBLY talented. That doesn't mean that you're incapable of doing it too, but he makes it seem slightly easy. Brown also goes obsessively into a lot of his memorization methods and mnemonic devices he uses. I'm not so sure it's an arrogant approach but he can get really descriptive with something that in all likeliness you will not be able to master. If you want more of a how-to book, literally, then this is definitely for you. If you're more interested in a general "these are my methods and how I apply them" then this will be a little bit out of your reach. I personally just wanted to know about how he developed these methods and how he uses them, more of a generalized view. Instead he will go into very specific topics and cover them in great detail, with a bit of a detached chapter system. As far as it is written, Brown seems to be EXTREMELY cheeky and cynical with a lot of what he writes. I think he tries too hard to inject humor and witty banter into his book when it just comes across as too much and, frankly a little douchey. Sure he has a bit of wit in his specials but at least it is kept minimal. He DOES write like he talks, which helps to envision his voice.. but he really does lay on the smart-ass talk a bit thick. Still, I thought this was okay. Easy to read, and a worthwhile purchase (used) for Derren Brown fans.

I originally heard about him when I studied in England. I was hooked on his specials and decided to order his book. The book does give you some clues as to how he does his tricks, and if you can read between the lines then you can get a better idea as to how he does his tricks. The first half of the book talks about his life, some memory tricks, some basic tricks etc. As you continue reading the book, it changes topics and starts discussing how some individuals pretend or trick themselves into thinking they are psychic or have other supernatural powers. If you do not have an open mind about spirituality or religion then this chapter may upset you, but if you can keep an open mind then you will find these chapters to be very interesting. The ending of the book made me realize how entertaining and creepy life can be when you are in the spotlight. Overall, I highly recommend this book :). If you are looking for a book that teaches you step-by-step how to manipulate people's minds then you will probably be a bit disappointed. If you are looking for a book that explains the basics of how he does a few of his tricks, and gives you some insight into his life and the way our minds can be fooled, then you will enjoy this book.

Unos de los mejores libros que he leído. Realmente un super regalo.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Derren's book. Would it just be a vague explanation of some of his tricks, or would I really learn something? I'm glad to say that this book really delivers. In each of his chapters he will actually give you the specific details of how execute on the topic he is discussing. Whether it's one of his card tricks or how he does hypnosis, you will get the down and dirty details of how to do it. Even more, he does a great job of explaining how to incorporate real showmanship to get the most out of your performance. And finally, he has a cheeky writing style which is fun to read.

This is a great intro into all sort of things that look like magic and are psychological and pseudoscientifical. Very interesting book!

Si vous aimez le mentalisme, si vous aimez cet homme charismatique qu'est Derren Brown, achetez ce livre! Vous obtiendrez quoi ? Du plaisir, des techniques précises (les parties sur la mémorisation et l'hypnose sont passionnantes), une pensée profonde sur les pseudo sciences (à propose, Derren met une claque monumentale à la PNL, du moins ce qu'elle est devenue, effet garanti!). Je n'ai pas assez d'éloges pour décrire ce livre, ni même son auteur. Intéressé par le mentalisme? Voici la base, à compléter avec le livre de Tony Corinda. Même pas intéressé par le mentalisme ? Vous n'y perdrez rien, l'écriture, l'humour, la pensée de Derren compensent le prix à l'achat. Seul prérequis et pas des moindres: avoir un bon niveau en anglais.

One thing any book needs to be to win me over, whatever its subject, is well written. A few years ago I read several articles by Sam Harris on the web, and regardless of his message, his prose delighted me. I wanted to read more of his writing, so I bought a copy of "The End of Faith" and wasn't disappointed. Derren Brown's "Tricks of the Mind" isn't quite in Harris's class, but it is well written, its scope is definitely wider(!) plus there are more jokes. Brown relishes the literary trick (likely beloved of conjurors) of setting up a paragraph clearly pointing in one direction then entirely undermining it in the final sentence. Wry humour and amusing tricks aside, this is a serious book from a master illusionist, mentalist and showman. Brown not only tells how a trick is performed, but goes on to analyse its underlying psychology, explaining not just how it works, but why. Don't expect him to reveal the intricacies of more complicated tricks, but his discussion of the psychology of conjuring is revealing in itself. He includes personal anecdotes throughout the book, though how much of the "real" Derren Brown these truly reveal is impossible to know, considering the man's profession. Later on Brown explains memory systems, with many practical exercises that demonstrate they do actually work. He also covers hypnotism in depth, even inviting the reader to try it out. I've had my suspicions about the true nature of hypnotism, and was pleased to see them confirmed (though I appreciate that's hardly conclusive proof of what I suspected). After a diversion into self-help motivational techniques he moves on to unconscious communication and lie-detection, describing how it is possible for a skilled, practised and perceptive operator to tell whether or not someone is speaking the truth. In the last part of the book he looks at pseudo-science, alternative medicine and scepticism in general, including critical thinking, statistics and probability. From there he moves on to comprehensive and passionate coverage of psychic mediums and cold-reading -- laced, however, with irony and wit that make these serious chapters a pleasure to read. Finally we have a generously annotated reading list, plus references and an alphabetical index. My recommendation? Read it - you'll be entertained as well as informed.